Embodiments of the present invention relate to systems and methods that are used for cleaning teats of milk producing animals. More specifically, the invention pertains to those systems and methods that utilize hand-held applicators to apply a disinfectant solution to teats for cleaning the teats of a milk-producing animal.
A variety of different methods and systems are presently available for cleaning teats from animals that produce milk. Several methods incorporate or utilize manual labor for cleaning the teats including the immersion of the teat in a dipping cup that includes a cleaning or disinfectant solution for a period of not less than one minute. Typically such cleaning solutions are iodine-based solutions or may include 5,000 ppm of chlorine dioxide, and have a thick syrup-like consistency and/or contain conditioning additives. A worker inserts the teat in the dipping cup to immerse the teat in the disinfectant. This is done sequentially for all teats on the animal. Because the solutions are thicker or contain one or more conditioning compounds, the solutions leave a residue (sometimes a tacky residue) that must be removed from the teat before milking. Accordingly, a worker uses a towel to dry each teat in preparation for milking. Such methods that incorporate these manual steps may be impractical for larger dairies, which may include thousands of cows. In addition, such methods may be slower than systems that may include remotely operable solution applicators.
Systems are available that utilize rotating brushes in combination with a cleaning solution to clean teats. One such system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,402,920 (referred to herein as the '920 patent), the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference and which is sold and distributed by Alpha Technology U.S.A Corporation. The teat cleaning system disclosed in the '920 includes a controller or a programmable logic controller that controls delivery of disinfectant solution to a remotely operable hand-held applicator.
Currently available systems such as the aforementioned systems by Alpha Technology U.S.A. Corporation described above, and is the subject of the'920 patent, are geared toward larger scale dairy operations in which cleaning and milking operations are conducted in an oversized parlor. These systems may include a wall mounted control box and relatively large disinfectant solution containers fixed at a location in the parlor, while the hand-held applicator is remotely operable. However, these systems may be less practical for smaller dairy parlors. A need has therefore been identified herein for a mobile system for cleaning teats of a milk-producing animal that is configured for use for smaller dairy farms that for example may have 500 or fewer cows and do not have the larger oversized milking parlors.